Post by mikekerstetter on Nov 24, 2012 8:26:03 GMT -5
www.standard-journal.com/articles....47483727790.txt
Americans in name only
by Mike Tischio
Published:
Saturday, November 24, 2012 2:59 AM CST
Did you celebrate Thanksgiving? It appears many did not, or did so by lining up to shop at the pre-Black Friday sales in many stores. The United States is the consumer nation. Usually reserved for our politicians and business moguls, greed has infected every strata of the American society. If you shopped on Thanksgiving Day, shame on you.
On Tuesday I happened to turn to a locally based radio station that caters to sports fans. I don’t know who the radio jock was, and don’t want to know, but he epitomizes all that’s wrong with our society. He issued a diatribe against all that used to be American: Family, friends and giving thanks for the many blessings we share in this country. His complaints about spending time with grandma, eating too much and having to endure being with his children were the rantings of a person ungrateful for his job, his family and his audience.
Whether this guy believed in God or not, it doesn’t matter. Everyone has something to be thankful for, and someone to be thankful to — even if it’s another person. This sports nut measured the joy he received from any particular holiday based on his ability to view sports. The sports we view in America are little boys and girls games, played by adults who are paid too much, often by people with no moral sense and worshipped by a public addicted to excitement. Sports played by our youth serve to help build their characters and give them an outlet to their physical needs.
Americans spent nearly $8 billion on the escapist holiday of Halloween. That during a slow recovery from the worst economic downturn in almost a century we have that kind of money to spend is cause enough to give thanks. American soldiers are, notwithstanding another growing Middle East conflict, on their way home more often than off to war — another reason to celebrate and give thanks. Those of us who are Jewish and celebrated Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur or Christian and about to celebrate Christmas ought to be thankful we in the United States still have the religious freedom to do so. If you have a job, still have your home, have your health, kids, a car that runs, food in the fridge and so on, you have cause to be thankful. Many in our country are not so fortunate.
If America has changed so much to warrant removing Thanksgiving from the list of holidays celebrated nationwide, we have changed for the worst. It’s obvious to anyone with eyes and half a brain we are not as humble or thankful as were once upon a time. If we value consuming mass quantities of merchandise or televised sports over taking time to be thankful for what we have right now, we are a lesser people and a people on the decline. The Roman Empire fell when its average citizen, not only its politicians became accustomed to the barbarous games in the Coliseum and a government handing out gifts in order to curry favor. Once a moral and industrious nation, Rome fell due to greed and sloth. We are not far from reaching the same point.
A meaningful way to give thanks for all we have might be a donation to a favorite charity or to the various organizations collecting for victims of Hurricane Sandy. That’s the America which became a superpower in the 20th Century — the America which lent a helping hand to those in need, the America which passed laws protecting the average Joe from greedy industrialists, and the America which celebrated Thanksgiving with family gatherings recalling our founding and prayerfully establishing our legacy. Prayer... what an antiquated concept in this day of instant gratification, instant communication and purchases at the touch of a button.
Prayer instead of PlayStations, humble attitudes instead of haughty spending, thanksgiving instead of mindless gift-giving, joining hands instead of texting, expressing love instead of posting blogs: Can we turn back the tide of selfishness and greed now infecting the American Dream? If we fail ask yourself this: What will your children or grandchildren be doing on the fourth Thursday in November 20 years from now? Calling you or even visiting to say thanks for all you’ve done — probably not, they’ll be too busy updating their electronic devices or downloading apps.
Mike Tischio is a freelance columnist living in Union County. To comment, simply email newsroom@standard-journal.com.
Americans in name only
by Mike Tischio
Published:
Saturday, November 24, 2012 2:59 AM CST
Did you celebrate Thanksgiving? It appears many did not, or did so by lining up to shop at the pre-Black Friday sales in many stores. The United States is the consumer nation. Usually reserved for our politicians and business moguls, greed has infected every strata of the American society. If you shopped on Thanksgiving Day, shame on you.
On Tuesday I happened to turn to a locally based radio station that caters to sports fans. I don’t know who the radio jock was, and don’t want to know, but he epitomizes all that’s wrong with our society. He issued a diatribe against all that used to be American: Family, friends and giving thanks for the many blessings we share in this country. His complaints about spending time with grandma, eating too much and having to endure being with his children were the rantings of a person ungrateful for his job, his family and his audience.
Whether this guy believed in God or not, it doesn’t matter. Everyone has something to be thankful for, and someone to be thankful to — even if it’s another person. This sports nut measured the joy he received from any particular holiday based on his ability to view sports. The sports we view in America are little boys and girls games, played by adults who are paid too much, often by people with no moral sense and worshipped by a public addicted to excitement. Sports played by our youth serve to help build their characters and give them an outlet to their physical needs.
Americans spent nearly $8 billion on the escapist holiday of Halloween. That during a slow recovery from the worst economic downturn in almost a century we have that kind of money to spend is cause enough to give thanks. American soldiers are, notwithstanding another growing Middle East conflict, on their way home more often than off to war — another reason to celebrate and give thanks. Those of us who are Jewish and celebrated Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur or Christian and about to celebrate Christmas ought to be thankful we in the United States still have the religious freedom to do so. If you have a job, still have your home, have your health, kids, a car that runs, food in the fridge and so on, you have cause to be thankful. Many in our country are not so fortunate.
If America has changed so much to warrant removing Thanksgiving from the list of holidays celebrated nationwide, we have changed for the worst. It’s obvious to anyone with eyes and half a brain we are not as humble or thankful as were once upon a time. If we value consuming mass quantities of merchandise or televised sports over taking time to be thankful for what we have right now, we are a lesser people and a people on the decline. The Roman Empire fell when its average citizen, not only its politicians became accustomed to the barbarous games in the Coliseum and a government handing out gifts in order to curry favor. Once a moral and industrious nation, Rome fell due to greed and sloth. We are not far from reaching the same point.
A meaningful way to give thanks for all we have might be a donation to a favorite charity or to the various organizations collecting for victims of Hurricane Sandy. That’s the America which became a superpower in the 20th Century — the America which lent a helping hand to those in need, the America which passed laws protecting the average Joe from greedy industrialists, and the America which celebrated Thanksgiving with family gatherings recalling our founding and prayerfully establishing our legacy. Prayer... what an antiquated concept in this day of instant gratification, instant communication and purchases at the touch of a button.
Prayer instead of PlayStations, humble attitudes instead of haughty spending, thanksgiving instead of mindless gift-giving, joining hands instead of texting, expressing love instead of posting blogs: Can we turn back the tide of selfishness and greed now infecting the American Dream? If we fail ask yourself this: What will your children or grandchildren be doing on the fourth Thursday in November 20 years from now? Calling you or even visiting to say thanks for all you’ve done — probably not, they’ll be too busy updating their electronic devices or downloading apps.
Mike Tischio is a freelance columnist living in Union County. To comment, simply email newsroom@standard-journal.com.
